43 (forty-three) in Spanish is cuarenta y tres. The expression has three written words: cuarenta, “forty,” y, “and,” and tres, “three.” It is useful for quantities, ages, identifying numbers, and minutes. Learning the whole phrase will help you recognize forty-three without having to count upward from forty each time.
Quick answer:
43 = cuarenta y tres, approximately “kwah-REHN-tah ee trehs.” “Forty-three years old” is cuarenta y tres años, used with the verb tener.
How Do You Say 43 in Spanish?
Say cuarenta y tres. The three words are written separately, with no hyphen and no accent marks. Cuarenta gives the tens, and tres supplies the additional three. The linking word y is part of this ordinary number construction.
Example: Hay cuarenta y tres estudiantes. — There are forty-three students.
Place the number before the noun when counting: cuarenta y tres libros, “forty-three books,” or cuarenta y tres personas, “forty-three people.” The noun is normally plural. The number does not gain a feminine ending just because the noun is feminine.
If the unit is clear, you can answer with the number alone. ¿Cuántos necesitas? means “How many do you need?” A short answer can be Cuarenta y tres. To give a fuller response, say Necesito cuarenta y tres, “I need forty-three.”
Understanding Cuarenta y Tres
1. Cuarenta — Forty
Cuarenta means “forty.” It is the base for the numbers from forty-one through forty-nine. Keep the opening cua in the spelling. It is different from cuatro, “four,” even though the words are related numerically.
It is also different from cuatrocientos, “four hundred.” A number that begins with a familiar sound can still have a very different value. Learn cuarenta as a complete word and connect it directly with the digits 40.
2. Y — And
Y joins the tens and ones in this number. It is pronounced like a short ee. In smooth speech, it connects closely to the surrounding words, so cuarenta y tres may sound more compact than a careful word-by-word reading.
Do not omit it in the usual expression, and do not replace it with an English “and.” The written pattern here is three separate Spanish words. That differs from the spellings of some smaller numbers, such as veintitrés, twenty-three.
3. Tres — Three
Tres means “three.” In cuarenta y tres, it stays in its basic spelling and does not need a written accent. Compare veintitrés, which does have an accent because its combined spelling has a different stress pattern.
Unlike compound numbers ending in uno, forty-three does not need a shortened form before a masculine noun. Say cuarenta y tres libros and cuarenta y tres mesas. The number remains unchanged in both phrases.
4. Using 43 as an Identifying Number
A cardinal number can identify a page, room, or route. La página cuarenta y tres means “page forty-three.” The noun is singular because you are referring to one specific numbered page.
Compare cuarenta y tres páginas, “forty-three pages,” with la página cuarenta y tres, “page forty-three.” Word order and the article help distinguish a quantity from a label. The number itself has the same pronunciation in both uses.
43 in Spanish: Quick Comparison
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| Spanish expression | English meaning | Useful context |
|---|---|---|
| cuarenta y tres | forty-three | The number by itself |
| cuarenta y tres personas | forty-three people | Counting a group |
| cuarenta y tres años | forty-three years / years old | Age or duration in context |
| cuarenta y tres minutos | forty-three minutes | A period of time |
| la página cuarenta y tres | page forty-three | An identifying number |
| cuarenta y tres euros | forty-three euros | An amount of money |
| cuarenta | forty | The tens part |
| cuatrocientos tres | four hundred and three | A different value: 403 |
How to Pronounce Cuarenta y Tres
Cuarenta y tres is approximately kwah-REHN-tah ee trehs. Stress the middle syllable of cuarenta. The opening cua includes a w-like glide, unlike a plain ka sound.
The r in cuarenta is typically a quick tap, and the consonants in tres connect without an extra vowel between them. Keep the final s in mind, while recognizing that its strength can vary across accents and speaking styles.
Practice the number first, then add a useful unit. English approximations cannot fully represent Spanish vowels and consonants, so use the audio to hear the rhythm. Avoid stressing every syllable equally or pausing strongly before and after the short word y.
Counting Around Forty-Three
The numbers in the forties use cuarenta, followed by y and a ones number when needed. Review ten and the basic Spanish counting words if the ones numbers are still unfamiliar. Forty itself does not add y because there is no extra ones part.
- 40 — cuarenta
- 41 — cuarenta y uno
- 42 — cuarenta y dos
- 43 — cuarenta y tres
- 44 — cuarenta y cuatro
- 45 — cuarenta y cinco
- 46 — cuarenta y seis
- 47 — cuarenta y siete
- 48 — cuarenta y ocho
- 49 — cuarenta y nueve
After learning the sequence, read the digits in a mixed order. Say 43, then 49, then 42, rather than reciting the whole list each time. This makes the vocabulary more useful when someone asks a question or gives you an unexpected number.
Using Forty-Three with Nouns
For age, use tener: Tiene cuarenta y tres años means “He or she is forty-three years old.” The first-person form is Tengo cuarenta y tres años. Spanish does not copy English “am” or “is” in this age expression.
For duration, the surrounding sentence identifies the meaning: La clase dura cuarenta y tres minutos means “The class lasts forty-three minutes.” The same number can work with distance, pages, or money when you change the unit.
No extra de is needed between the number and an ordinary counted noun: cuarenta y tres estudiantes. To say “forty-three of these students,” use cuarenta y tres de estos estudiantes. The preposition introduces the known group being selected from.
If you need to say “about forty-three,” add a phrase such as unas cuarenta y tres personas or aproximadamente cuarenta y tres personas. The extra expression marks an estimate, while the plain number normally presents a specific quantity.
Example Sentences
These examples cover a quantity, an age, and a numbered page. Look at the words after the number to see how its role changes.
Use: Hay introduces the quantity present. Personas is plural, and the number stays unchanged.
Use: Tener is the verb used for age. Tiene is the third-person singular form.
Use: Página is singular because the number identifies one page. Abre is an informal singular instruction.
Common Mistakes
Do not omit y or join all three words into one in the spelling taught here. Write cuarenta y tres, with no hyphens or accent marks. Keep it separate from veintitrés, whose one-word spelling does require an accent.
Do not change the number to match feminine nouns, and do not translate a person’s age using ser. Say Tiene cuarenta y tres años. Finally, distinguish a quantity of forty-three pages from one page numbered forty-three; the noun’s position and number make the difference clear.
Frequently Asked Questions About 43 (Forty-Three) in Spanish
Tap a question below to see the answer.
How do you say 43 in Spanish?
Say cuarenta y tres. It is written as three separate words with no hyphen or accent marks.
Do I need y in cuarenta y tres?
Yes. In this ordinary spelling, y joins the tens and ones. It is pronounced like a short ee sound.
Why does veintitrés have an accent but cuarenta y tres does not?
Veintitrés is written as one compound word and needs an accent to mark its final stress. In cuarenta y tres, tres is a separate word and has no written accent.
Does forty-three change with feminine nouns?
No. Say cuarenta y tres libros and cuarenta y tres personas. The number is unchanged, while the noun is plural.
How do I say forty-three years old?
Use tener cuarenta y tres años. For example, Tengo cuarenta y tres años means “I am forty-three years old.”
How do I say page forty-three?
Say la página cuarenta y tres. The noun is singular because you are identifying one page, rather than counting forty-three pages.
Summary
43 (forty-three) in Spanish is cuarenta y tres. Remember the three words, the linking y, and the absence of written accents. The number stays the same before masculine and feminine nouns.
Practice cuarenta y tres personas, cuarenta y tres años, and la página cuarenta y tres. Complete expressions help you connect the number with quantities, ages, and identifying labels.
